Domaine Serene’s 2022 Evenstad Reserve Chardonnay earned one of the highest distinctions at the 2025 Sommeliers Choice Awards, taking home Best Wine by Quality and a 96-point score. Known for its Pinot Noir legacy, Domaine Serene has steadily elevated Oregon Chardonnay into the spotlight with a philosophy rooted in volcanic soils, high elevation vineyards, and Burgundian sensibility. The award also affirms a decade of thoughtful winemaking and positioning: crafting wines that resonate with sommeliers, collectors, and by-the-glass drinkers alike. We spoke with Danielle Holbrook, Brand Marketing Manager at Domaine Serene, about how this standout wine reflects the estate’s broader vision, how they plan to build on its momentum, and what’s next for one of Oregon’s most recognized wineries.

Image: Domaine Serene.

Congratulations on winning Best Wine by Quality at the 2025 Sommeliers Choice Awards. How do you plan to leverage this recognition in your marketing and communications, both in the US and internationally? Given the influence of sommelier-led awards on trade and consumer buying behavior, how will this accolade be used to strengthen relationships with your distributors, retail partners, and restaurant accounts?

Thank you, we’re honored to receive this recognition. We shared the news promptly across our digital platforms and audiences, including at Oregon Pinot Camp, an annual invitation-only event with trade professionals from around the world. 

This accolade reinforces our leadership in Oregon Chardonnay and brings added credibility in conversations with both trade and consumers. We are incorporating it across our communications and materials to support continued placements in top-tier on-premise accounts and fine wine retailers, particularly in key U.S. markets and expanding international territories.

Sommelier-led awards such as this carry meaningful influence and will further strengthen our relationships with distributors, retail partners, and restaurant accounts.

Image: 2022 Domaine Serene 'Evenstad Reserve' Chardonnay - Best Wine by Quality at the 2025 Sommeliers Choice Awards.

The 2022 ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Chardonnay has clearly resonated with judges, scoring 96 points. What makes this particular vintage stand out, both in terms of winemaking approach and its expression of Oregon’s terroir? Could you also speak to how this wine exemplifies your broader Chardonnay program?

2022 was a miracle vintage, starting late but blessed with sunny weather through the Fall. It was more of a classic Oregon vintage with sunny days and cool nights, overall, a great year for growing and making wine in the Willamette Valley. Most of the grapes for this wine were harvested in October, allowing for great hang time and flavor development.  

This particular vintage stands out for how well it expresses Oregon’s terroir: the combination of high elevation, incredible soils, and cool yet sunny conditions delivers a fresh, acid-driven profile with stone fruit character that’s vibrant but not heavy on the palate, making it both refreshing and incredibly food-friendly. Over one year in barrel and an additional year under cork ensures this wine is always ready to enjoy when it reaches our consumers.

Our Chardonnay program is rooted in barrel fermentation and long aging in barrels, which worked especially well in a vintage like this. We used lightly toasted barrels to build mouthfeel without overshadowing the fruit. In our vineyards, we only plant Chardonnay in volcanic (Jory) soils, at high elevation, and with early-ripening clones. These components form the foundation of the wine’s consistency, balance, and creamy texture and can be witnessed in all of our Chardonnay bottlings.

Image: Clos de Lune Vineyard Chardonnay.

Domaine Serene is well known for its Pinot Noirs, but your Chardonnays are gaining significant critical attention. How do you position the ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Chardonnay within your overall portfolio, and what role does it play in your brand identity?

That is correct. Our story began with the ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Pinot Noir, which became the foundation for our brand identity and the inspiration behind our Chardonnay program. The Pinot program started as a cuvée and later evolved into single-vineyard bottlings. While our Chardonnay program began with single-vineyard expressions and, ten years later, led to our first ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Chardonnay cuvée.

Since its inception, this wine has become central to our portfolio and is the culmination of our “Art of the Blend” philosophy. It brings together the best fruit from across our estate vineyards to create a Chardonnay that is consistent, expressive, and true to our house style. Inspired by Ken and Grace Evenstad’s love for Burgundy, it reflects the depth, elegance, and ageability that Oregon Chardonnay can achieve.

The ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Chardonnay is positioned as the white wine counterpart to our flagship Pinot Noir. It plays a defining role in our brand identity, representing the same commitment to place, structure, and style. It has become a benchmark for our Chardonnay program and an increasingly sought-after wine among collectors, consumers, and for by-the-glass placements alike.

Image: Grace Evenstad, owner of Domaine Serene.

Where can consumers currently find the 2022 Evenstad Reserve Chardonnay in the United States? Are you working with any major retail chains, independent wine merchants, or national restaurant groups? How are placements evolving following this award?

Our ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Chardonnay is currently available through major and fine wine retailers, independent merchants, and restaurants across the country. We’re also actively seeking expansion into resorts, hotels, and other on-premise partners to ensure thoughtful placement and greater accessibility in the settings where our consumers dine, travel, and discover wine.

Are there any export markets that are particularly strong for this wine, or showing emerging potential? How do you support your international importers in building awareness and moving stock, especially for a premium Chardonnay?

We are seeing growing interest both domestically and abroad, especially in white and sparkling wines, with several emerging markets. We believe there will always be a place for premium wines, especially with consumers who prioritize quality and are willing to invest in them. We support our international importers with education, storytelling, and marketing tools that help them share what makes these wines distinct.

Image: Domaine Serene “Evenstad Reserve” Chardonnay.

What specific marketing activities are you engaging in this year to support the Evenstad Reserve, such as trade tastings, digital campaigns, influencer partnerships, or educational events? Do you tailor your approach for the on-premise and off-premise segments?

All of the above! We’re highly engaged in supporting our portfolio through trade tastings, digital campaigns, onsite events, and by building relationships with the next generation of brand advocates.

We approach every channel with a consumer mindset, recognizing that the experience and path to purchase differ between on-premise and off-premise. We believe brands are built on-premise and sold off-premise, and we structure our efforts accordingly. From tailored messaging to channel-specific tools, each initiative is designed to meet trade and consumer needs where they’re most relevant and impactful.

Can you share how Domaine Serene is addressing environmental stewardship, from vineyard to bottle? Is sustainability part of the story behind this wine?

Yes, sustainability is central to our approach. Domaine Serene has been LIVE Certified for over ten years. This third-party certification verifies that our practices meet strict environmental standards every year in both viticulture and winemaking. We’re proud to be one of the few estates certified in both the vineyard and winery.

In addition to LIVE, we’re also Salmon-Safe, Bee-Friendly Farming Certified, and follow IOBC standards for Integrated Production, which support biodiversity, healthy ecosystems, and reduced chemical inputs.

We also developed a custom bottle that’s more than 25% lighter than standard, reducing our glass usage and lowering our carbon footprint. We use natural cork and are proud to maintain over 65% of our estate as protected land for forests, water sources, and oak groves that we have actively preserved to support biodiversity.

Image: (Left) Domaine Serene cellar room, and (Right) Main tasting room, Oregon.

Looking ahead, what are your plans for growth, whether in terms of new markets, additional vineyard sourcing, or category expansion? Is there anything exciting in the pipeline that builds on the momentum of this award-winning Chardonnay?

We have the ability to own and control every step from vineyard to bottle, which allows us to be highly intentional in shaping our portfolio. Looking ahead, our growth will focus on category expansion through our by-the-glass program for the ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Chardonnay, creating opportunities for new placements and increased awareness of both the varietal and the region, as we continue to craft world-class Chardonnay.

Conclusion

This award-winning Chardonnay represents more than a single standout vintage; it captures the results of a deliberate, long-term commitment to excellence in Oregon Chardonnay. From vineyard to glass, Domaine Serene has defined its house style through precision, patience, and place. As they continue to deepen their Chardonnay program and broaden their global reach, the Evenstad Reserve remains a benchmark, both for what Oregon is capable of and for how a winery can evolve while staying true to its origins.

Header Image:(Left) Carl Formaker, Domaine winemaker, and (Right) Michael Fay, Vice President of winemaking and viticulture.

In conversation with Malvika Patel, Editor and VP, Beverage Trade Network

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